Just 90 miles North of Phoenix, Payson is a great option for a day trip in the spring or fall to escape the Phoenix heat, and experience a completely different climate and landscape. At 5,000 ft of elevation, Payson sits below Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, which is covered in beautiful Ponderosa Pines and Juniper trees. This is a great option for an active day trip with kids / teens, for couples, or even a girls trip. You could extend your stay and make a weekend of it by exploring all that the Mogollon Rim area has to offer. If you like camping, this would be the perfect place to do that too. I’ve visited in the spring and the fall, and both are equally enjoyable. Just be sure to bring an extra set of clothes and check the weather report, because storms can roll in quickly in this area!
If you’re coming from Phoenix, the drive to Payson is really beautiful. Grab your favorite caffeinated drink before hitting the road in the morning, and stay awake for this one! There are canyons, rolling hills, saguaros, and beautiful views of the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks to your East. About halfway through the trip, you’ll notice that the Saguaros disappear as you gradually climb 4,000 ft in to a more forested landscape. Hard to believe you’re still in Arizona…
There are lots of options for beautiful hikes in the Payson area, all with varying levels of difficulty. If you’re not a regular hiker and / or don’t live at higher elevations, it will be a little more difficult than normal. Be sure to bring a lot of water and some snacks. We’ve done the Cypress Trail (reminiscent of hiking in Sedona), the Peach Orchard Trail (rolling hills and great views of the rim), and Water Wheel Falls (short, but really unique hike). Water Wheel Falls includes a lot of walking on boulders, so you do need to have really good shoes. It’s a great place to stop and have a picnic or snack once you reach the falls (you can even go in the water here if you’d like). Grab sandwiches in town before you head to Water Wheel and have a little picnic there for lunch! If you decide to do one of the other hikes, plan on having a quick lunch in town and take a break before heading to your next stop.
If you haven’t been before, the Tonto Natural Bridge is a must-see at least once. It’s just a few minutes outside Payson, and is an Arizona State Park that holds what is believed to be the world’s largest, natural travertine bridge. The park contains an Historic Lodge / gift shop, picnic areas, and hiking trails. You can view the bridge from several viewpoints that are accessible and don’t require hiking, but you can also hike down a short (but steep) trail down to the river under the bridge. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can climb the big boulders that take you right under the bridge. It’s slippery, so don’t attempt without really good shoes. There are beautiful views from every angle.
After all the hiking and fresh air, you should be really hungry by now! I have the perfect place to recommend for dinner…the Old County Inn in Pine, just a few minutes Northwest of the Tonto Natural Bridge. It’s been super busy every time we’ve gone, but it’s worth the wait! There are several options for seating, but you might not have a choice. We’ve sat in the bar in the main restaurant, there’s a large patio area outside which is great when there’s live music, but my favorite is the unassuming Taproom. It’s small, but full of so much character…check out the pictures of the ceiling below! There are several local beers and wines on tap to choose from, as well as a full bar. Old County Inn is known for their wood-fired pizza and it’s delicious. I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of ours!
After dinner we’ve typically had a full day and are ready to head back to Phoenix, but if you’d like to make a weekend of it there are several hotels in town, plus options for camping near / on the rim. Woods Canyon Lake is a particularly beautiful area to camp, boat, fish, and hike as well. Another option would be to stay in Payson and take another hike or play a round of golf to close out your stay.
Thanks Allison, Now that we have a child at ASU, we will need to find day trips like these.
Yes, John…there are so many good day / weekend trips from Phoenix! Payson, Sedona, Prescott, Flagstaff…I’ll be writing up some itineraries for those soon.